Springfield Falcons prepare for AHL season opener

Republican staff photo by David Molnar Springfield's Cody Goloubef battles Providence's Jamie Tardif as goalie Allen York watches during an exhibition game Oct. 1 at the MassMutual Center in Springfield.

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SPRINGFIELD – At the suggestion of some of their veterans, Springfield Falcons players went to lunch together on Thursday, minus members of the coaching staff.

“A good idea,” said head coach Rob Riley. “A good way for them to share their thoughts going into the season, and a good way to establish team identity.”

The Falcons open their 2011-12 season in the American Hockey League Friday night, facing the Manchester Monarchs at Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, N.H.

It’s the 18th season for this Falcons franchise, started in 1994 by former players Bruce Landon and Wayne LaChance as an AHL expansion entry after the Springfield Indians franchise was moved to Worcester.

For Springfield professional hockey, this season will be the continuation of a tradition which began in the Canadian-American League in 1926. Springfield joined the AHL as a charter member in 1935.

It’s a franchise now owned by Charlie Pompea, a retired industrialist, with Landon as his minority partner and still the president/general manager. Pompea took control last December, while providing assurance that he wants the franchise to remain in Springfield.

“I’m excited about the season, as I always am, but even moreso now because of moves made by our parent club (the Columbus Blue Jackets). We have a good mix of veteran players and young talent,” Landon said.

Pompea, a resident of Jupiter, Fla., is in town, and will be around until the Falcons open the home portion of their schedule with games Oct. 15-16 at the MassMutual Center.

In the realigned AHL, the Falcons will play in a five-team Northeast Division with Adirondack, Albany, Bridgeport and Connecticut (Hartford). The Atlantic Division, where the Falcons used to reside, now has Manchester, Portland, Providence, St. John’s and Worcester.

For Riley, this is his second shot at being a head coach in pro hockey after a long career at the United States Military Academy.

“Yes, my first (AHL) year was a learning experience. For most of the season, we had a good team, but we found that we have to be more resilient,” he said. “This year, we like the mix because we have a core of players with experience at this level.”

His Falcons figure to have more scoring punch, with a former AHL Most Valuable Player award-winner centering their first line.

That’s Andre Giroux, a 30-year-old from Quebec City who has had 60-goal and 50-goal seasons in this league. In the 2011-12 campaign, when he played for Edmonton’s Oklahoma City club, he had 32 goals and 78 points to finish second to AHL scoring leader Corey Locke of Binghamton (86 points).

Giroux, acquired by Columbus during the summer as a free agent, remained in Blue Jackets camp until Wednesday. He was scheduled to arrive in Springfield on Thursday afternoon.

He will have Martin St. Pierre and Tomas Kubalik as his linemates in the opener. St. Pierre, an eight-year pro from Embrun, Ontario, has played 367 AHL games and has had four seasons with 20 or more goals.

Kubalik, a 21-year-old from Plzen, Czech Republic, is back after a rookie year in which he led the Falcons with 24 goals.

Springfield’s second line features hard hitters Dane Byers, Nick Drazenovic and Cody Bass – a free agent signee who played for Binghamton’s Calder Cup champs last season.

Andrew Joudrey, a veteran of two Calder Cups in Hershey, centers the third line for Oliver Gabriel and Adam Mair. Riley has put together a fourth line of Aaron Bogosian, Ryan Garlock and Mike Thomas.

On defense, returnees Nick Holden and Cody Goloubef have been paired. Another returnee, John Moore, will skate with promising rookie Dalton Prout. The third defensive pair consists of returnee Mike Regner and the highly regarded Anton Blomqvist.

Allen York and Paul Dainton will share time as the goaltenders.

ICE CHIPS: Center Ryan Russell, a late cut in the Columbus camp, is with the Falcons but not ready for the opener because of injury. He bears watching as a player who scored seven goals in 20 playoff game with Hamilton last season ... The Falcons also have defenseman Theo Ruth on the injury list ... Former AIC captain Tom Mele has been assigned by the Falcons to Fort Wayne, their Central League affiliate.